Virginia To Tap State Funds To Assist SNAP Recipients

RICHMOND, VA — Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Tuesday said state funds will be used to provide direct assistance to recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits amid the ongoing federal government shutdown.

Earlier this week, Virginia residents who receive federal food aid learned they won’t get their November benefits as the shutdown continues, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture posted a notice on its website after the Trump administration said it would not tap roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to keep SNAP benefits flowing into November. The program helps about one in eight Americans buy groceries.

An analysis of USDA Food and Nutrition Service data by the non-partisan research group Center on Budget and Policy Priorities shows that 827,800 Virginia residents receive SNAP assistance.

• RELATED: VA SNAP Benefits Won't Go Out In November, Officials Confirm

On Tuesday, Youngkin's office said the Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance (VENA) initiative was established through a state of emergency declaration in response to the shutdown and will pay current SNAP recipients a weekly emergency food assistance payment to offset lost benefits.

"The dereliction of duty on the part of our federal Democrat Senators is creating a crisis for the most needy Virginians," Youngkin said in a statement. "It is an extraordinary step for Virginia to provide food benefits in seven-day increments in November, but we must do so because Congressional Democrats are putting politics above people."

VENA benefits will be issued weekly, not monthly. For example, if a household normally receives $200 for a monthly benefit, a $50 benefit will be issued every week.

In addition, Youngkin announced an additional $1 million in state funds would be provided to Virginia food banks in order to offset any temporary disruption as VENA benefits are rolled out.

The governor said VENA should continue through at least November, Youngkin's office said. The benefits will be paid out of a surplus in the state budget.

According to the data, more than 67 percent of Virginia SNAP participants are in families with children; more than 33 percent are in families with members who are older adults or are disabled; and more than 36 percent of recipients are in working families.

Many Virginia households struggle to put food on the table, the center said. The most recent data show in 2023:

• 10 percent of households were “food insecure,” meaning that their access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources.
• 10.2 percent of the population lived below the poverty line.
• 12.7 percent of children lived in families below the poverty line.
• 9.5 percent of older adults lived below the poverty line.

The shutdown, which began Oct. 1, is now the second-longest on record.

For more information about VENA, please visit the Virginia Department of Social Services website at https://dss.virginia.gov/snapfacts, where updates and detailed guidance on VENA will be posted.